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| November 23rd |
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| November 20 |
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| December 4 & 5 |
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Livonia is fortunate to have two legislators representing us in Lansing who are strong advocates of our historic public schools. That is schools that filled the public school definition before the state of Michigan expanded the definition to include charter schools. Charter schools that continue to drain public tax dollars without the same state over-site given to those historic public schools that have helped build a hometown of which we are proud.
With the replacement of a charter school advocate, Senator Patrick Colbeck, with a voice for our historic public school education, Senator Dayna Polehanki, Livonia has a voice in Lansing that has and will continue to point out the inadequacy and unfairness of our school funding. Add a one-two punch when we add in State Representative Laurie Pohutsky.
We continue to watch the funding, and have 25 years, of our Michigan public schools as it declines more sharply than any other state in the nation. A
new report from Michigan State University documents this decline as they report that "
Educators have been forced to meet rising academic standards with inadequate finances."
What is interesting in the research is that the authors point out that "Michigan could give schools the dollars they need if policymakers devoted the same share of the state economy to supporting education as they did a decade ago."
Michigan has seen total revenue for our schools decline by 30 percent since 2002 when adjusted for inflation ranking
Michigan smack dab at the bottom for growth in math and reading.
 "Michigan has tried to improve schools on the cheap, focusing on more accountability and school choice," said David Arsen, MSU professor of education policy and lead author of the study. "To make those policies effective, they have to be matched with adequate funding. We have been kidding ourselves to think we can move forward while cutting funding for schools.
"We don't have to wait any longer. We know that this isn't working."
The study found, after an adjustment for inflation, that Michigan's education funding in 2015 was 82 percent of what it was in 1995 - worse than any other state in the nation.
The State clearly needs to find new revenue sources that will expand money available to our local schools. We could change the sales tax, property or income taxes or by letting our local districts levy a voter-approved enhancement millages, long advocated by FridayMusings.
In the mean time our schools, through the PTSA organizations are partnering with local businesses to raise $200 or $300, and as in the case of Rosedale Elementary School spend the money to purchase additional technology. While we should absolutely support these fundraising efforts we should spend as much time demanding that the state of Michigan realizes the hole that our educational systems are digging as a result of a hole created by our state underfunding education and using obfuscation along with smoke and mirrors to make us think that these dollars are on the increase.
THEY ARE NOT ON THE INCREASE.
In the meantime this typewriter will try whenever possible to attend these partnerships while at the same time realizing that a $20 dinner will only provide $4.00 to the school. I would rather have sufficient taxes or additional revenue streams made available to what was once the best school district in the state of Michigan, a state that once held the distinction of being the best in the nation.
"Citizens will support providing additional funding to schools if they know how the money will be spent, and they believe the revenues have been raised fairly," Arsen said. "Providing those resources to schools is well within reach of the state in our current economy. This is what's necessary to establish the foundation for the important work of teaching and learning."
How far have we fallen. A shame.
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Do you know a Livonia based business or organization that is demonstrating leadership in environmental and sustainability initiatives? Now is the time to let the rest of the community know.
In 1989 Craig crossed the country to Santa Barbara, CA where he worked as a freelance Director and Designer until founding his second theatre company, Theater Pacifica, of which he was the Artistic Director until 1995. While in California he privately coached actors and was Scenic Designer for the Santa Barbara Shakespeare Festival. 
